West African Football Union

(Redirected from West Africa Football Union)

The West African Football Union (French: Union des Fédérations Ouest-Africaines de Football; Portuguese: União das Federações Oeste Africanas), officially abbreviated as WAFU-UFOA and WAFU, is an association of the football playing nations in West Africa. It was the brainchild of the Senegal Football Federation who requested that the nations belonging to CAF's Zone A and B meet and hold a regular competitive tournament. The union organises several competitions including the WAFU Nations Cup and in 2008 they organised an under-20 championship.

West African Football Union
Union des Fédérations Ouest-Africaines de Football
Formation1975; 49 years ago (1975)
TypeSports organization
Region served
West Africa
Membership
Official language
English, French and Portuguese
AffiliationsCAF, FIFA
Websiteufoawafub.com

Presidents edit

The union's current president is actually Amos Adamu, but he was banned for three years from football activity by FIFA over vote-buying claims for the bids of the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups. Kwesi Nyantakyi was appointed interim president in Adamu's absence. Adamu has since appealed the ban at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.[1]

Member associations edit

The union was founded in 1975 with all the current members, but in 2011 the Confederation of African Football decided to split it into two zones, citing "the organisational issues that face WAFU."[4][1]

  • Zone A (Niger)
  • Zone B (Volta Niger)

Mauritania is the only WAFU member to also be a member of the Union of Arab Football Associations.

Country Zone Governing body
  Cape Verde Zone A Cape Verdean Football Federation
  Gambia Gambia Football Association
  Guinea Guinean Football Federation
  Guinea-Bissau Football Federation of Guinea-Bissau
  Liberia Liberia Football Association
  Mali Malian Football Federation
  Mauritania Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania
  Senegal Senegalese Football Federation
  Sierra Leone Sierra Leone Football Association
  Benin Zone B Benin Football Federation
  Burkina Faso Burkinabé Football Federation
  Ghana Ghana Football Association
  Ivory Coast Ivorian Football Federation
  Niger Nigerien Football Federation
  Nigeria Nigeria Football Federation
  Togo Togolese Football Federation

Competitions edit

WAFU runs several competitions which cover men's, women's, youth.

Current title holders edit

Competition Year Champions Title Runners-up Next edition Dates
National teams
WAFU Nations Cup 2019   Senegal 1st   Ghana 2021
WAFU UFOA A Nations Cup 2024 5-17 July
Zone A U-20 Championship 2022   Senegal 2st   Gambia 2024 15-30 September
Zone B U-20 Championship 2023   Ivory Coast 1st   Burkina Faso 2024 17-31 October
Zone A U-17 Championship 2022   Mali   Senegal 2024 20 October - 3 November
Zone B U-17 Championship 2022   Nigeria   Burkina Faso 2024 15-19 May
Zone A U-15 Championship 2022   Senegal   Liberia TBD
Zone A Schools Championship 2022[5]   CS Ben Sekou Sylla 1st   New Yundum TBD
Zone B Schools Championship 2022   CEG Sainte Rita 1st   CS Venus Saioua TBD
WAFU Zone A Beach Soccer 2024 3-7 July
National teams (women)
Zone A Women's Cup 2023   Senegal 2nd   Cape Verde TBD TBD
Zone B Women's Cup 2019   Nigeria 1st   Ivory Coast TBD TBD
WAFU Zone A U20 Women's Cup 2023   Senegal 1st   Guinea 2024 20-30 May
WAFU Zone B U20 Women's Cup 2023   Ghana 1st   Nigeria TBD TBD
Zone A Girls Schools Championship 2022[5]   Scan Aid 1st   Ecole Congresso De Cassaca TBD
Zone B Girls Schools Championship 2022   CEG Colby 1st   Ecole Chanvigny B TBD
Clubs (women)
CAF Women's Champions League WAFU Zone A Qualifiers 2023   AS Mabdé 1st   AS Dakar 2024 TBD
CAF Women's Champions League WAFU Zone B Qualifiers 2022   Ampem Darkoa Ladies F.C. 1st   Delta Queens F.C. 2024 TBD

Defunct competitions edit

Competition Years
CEDEAO Cup 1977–1991
West African Club Championship 1977–2011
Amílcar Cabral Cup 1979–2007
West African Nations Cup 1982–1987
UEMOA Tournament 2007–2016

FIFA World Rankings edit

Men's national teams edit

Rankings are calculated by FIFA.[6]

WAFU Zone FIFA Country Points +/−
1 A 18   Senegal 1584.59  
2 B 31   Nigeria 1504.70  
3 A 46   Mali 1442.88  
4 B 52   Ivory Coast 1435.91  
5 B 55   Burkina Faso 1425.64  
6 B 60   Ghana 1393.47  
7 A 73   Cape Verde 1331.46   1
8 A 83   Guinea 1294.89  
9 B 91   Benin 1258.71  
10 A 107   Mauritania 1181.86   3
11 A 113   Sierra Leone 1169.71  
12 A 115   Guinea-Bissau 1165.53  
13 B 119   Niger 1155.23  
14 A 124   Gambia 1137.47  
15 B 126   Togo 1130.22  
16 A 150   Liberia 1051.25  

Last updated 25 August 2022

Top Ranked Men's National Football Teams

Senegal national football teamIvory coast national football teamGhana national football teamIvory coast national football teamCape verde national football teamIvory coast national football teamGhana national football teamNigeria national football teamIvory coast national football teamNigeria national football team

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b "Caf have split the West African Football Union into two separate zones". Goal.com. Goal.com. 17 May 2011. Retrieved 21 October 2012.
  2. ^ "Wafu Cup to make a comeback". BBC Sport. 29 September 2008. Retrieved 2 January 2010.
  3. ^ "Nyantakyi resigns from FIFA, CAF, and WAFU positions". Graphic Online. Retrieved 2022-10-09.
  4. ^ "West African Football Union (Wafu) disbanded by Caf". British Broadcasting Corporation. BBC.co.uk. 17 May 2011. Retrieved 21 October 2012.
  5. ^ a b "ZONE OUEST A – U15 2022". zoneouesta.org. cafonline.com. 21 Aug 2022. Retrieved 21 Aug 2022.
  6. ^ "The FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking (Men) - CAF Region". FIFA. 4 June 2015. Archived from the original on November 2, 2014.

External links edit